By Michael Lin, Staff Writer
According to the CDC, approximately 47.2% of adults received some form of mental health treatment since 2021. For children aged 12 to 17, that number is 16%. Mental health is an insidious condition that affects approximately 57 million individuals in the USA. At Mills, approximately 18 students visit a wellness counselor in a week. In my opinion, therapy is a welcoming and rewarding treatment that helps students resolve burdens without the pressuring gaze of judgment.
The idea of modern therapy was introduced by Sigmund Freud, and even existed back in ancient Greece, but it has since evolved. Nowadays, many other approaches seek to alleviate mental illnesses. Two therapy styles that can greatly benefit the students at Mills High School are behavioral therapy and humanistic therapy. Behavioral therapy aims at changing people’s behavior. It can also teach coping behaviors and mechanisms that teens can use to overcome stressful situations. Humanistic therapy aims at providing students with a sense of wholeness, which can be helpful for students who are suffering from depression.
Be it a problem with yourself or amongst peers and families, there is an abundance of options to choose from. The Peninsula Healthcare District provides free services for all teens in the San Mateo county. One such place is Allcove, a space for youth to find community, support, advice or even just a moment of pause. Allcove provides mental health support for youths aged 12-25. Located in Palo Alto, the center offers the support of mental health specialists. The San Mateo Samaritan House also provides assistance with mental health to need-based individuals. The Star Vista Counseling Center located in San Mateo is a closer alternative that provides counseling, case, management, skill development, and crisis prevention programs.
A senior student at Mills High School, Alex Malagon (12) expressed the importance of seeking psychological help: “Yeah, I do think people should go to therapy. I feel like it’s good and beneficial, because you can’t rely or handle your emotions alone. It’s harmful for people to suppress their emotions, and I feel like it’s good to be able to reach out to the people you trust like a therapist. I’ve been to therapy and it’s changed me for the better.” The road to making progress in mental wellbeing is a long journey that requires patience and dedication. An individual from Mills High School who wishes to remain anonymous added, “Well, I would only recommend going to the wellness counselor if you are visiting multiple times, because one time won’t do anything.”
However, not everyone finds therapy necessary: “I was talking to a friend who has a lot of mental issues, and she says we don’t want help… and that’s the problem with therapy. Therapy only works when people truly want it to, but a lot of people are forced to do it.” Another anonymous remarked on a complicated situation which indeed plague individuals, comparing the mind to an insidious cage that traps its host, or a raging ocean that drowns the outcries for help. Not everyone feels the need to share their problems with others, but if it could not be resolved alone, the door for professional intervention is always open. “The wellness room is a place for students to take a break for a bit, we’d suggest checking in with a therapist when you need more tools, and when you struggle, that’s where we could help.” Laura Hahn is one of Mills High School’s wellness counselors that is available to provide students safe, and confidential help from Mondays to Fridays.
As we approach the end of another school year, stress undoubtedly lingers among the student body. Keep in mind that you’re not alone. If you are ever in need of help, or just seek a pair of listening ears free from judgment, make an appointment with the Mills Wellness team on the Mills High School website.
Other services that may be found in the back of your student ID includes:
Suicide prevention phone number: 1-800 273-8255, or 988
Crisis text line, text home to 741741
Star Vista Crisis hotline: 1-650-579-0350
Anonymous Alert: WWW.ANONYMOUSALERTS.COM/SANMATEOUHSD
